﻿﻿Six years ago today I started my first blog to talk about knitting. It seemed to be a strange thing to do, but as many people who started blogs at the same time said, I was reading other knitting blogs and decided to try it as well.

It has been a great way to record my knitting projects -- an online knitting journal.

There was a very long break in 2007 and 2008 -- no knitting, no knitting blog. I'm glad to be back at both hobbies -- knitting and knitting blogging.

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Picket Baby Blanket strips

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The yarn cake is from my current project -- the Pickets Baby Blanket. The blanket is composed of simple garter stripes with pointing instead of flat ends. The yarn is Swish DK superwash from Knitpicks. The pattern is from Knitpicks as well.

I have three or four more stripes to finish, and then a whole lotof sewing to do.

ar·ro·gance noun \ˈer-ə-gən(t)s, ˈa-rə-\ -- an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions (from http://www.m-w.com/)

Might I add another definition to the word? Arrogance is working a lace pattern without the use of lifelines. I didn't even think about using them. I am so used to being able to fix mistakes and move on that I, without thought, assumed I would be able to do that with this project, as well.

A couple of weeks ago I started the Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing. I used a lovely black yarn that I bought in Myrtle Beach a year or two ago.

Start #1: I started it with double pointed needles, cast on and knitted for seven rows. I finally realized that I had twisted the circle. There is no cure for that mistake; I ripped it out. Sigh.

Start #2: I cast on again. This time I got rid of the double pointed needles - not sharp enough. I switched to Knitpicks Option. I've never really knit a circle with two circular needles. It worked; I was able to do it. I think I might like DPNs better, but this was working. I had made it to row 25 or so, when I noticed an error. I arrogantly decided I could fix it, and let down the column of stitches to pick it up correctly. No way. Not happening. The more I worked, the worse the mistake became. It was compounded by more and more mistakes. I finally threw in the towel and ripped it out again.

If I had used a lifeline, I could have gone back to a known correct point, but I didn't have one.

Will there be a Start #3? Probably, but not until after the project has a long LONG time in Time Out.

When I first started knitting -- back in 2005, maybe? -- I did it as a new year's resolution. I wanted to try to learn something new. So I did. The next year, I made a resolution to knit a pair of socks, and I did.

This year, I think I want to try to improve (or create) some knitting with color skills -- maybe fair isle? I've purchased two books: Color Knitting the Easy Way (Melissa Leapman) and Mastering Color Knitting (also by Melissa Leapman). I think these will make a good start.

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﻿In order to try some practice knitting, I picked up a couple of skeins of Knitpicks Swish DK in Coal and Dove Heather.

Swish DK, Dove Heather

While I was placing a Knitpicks order, I took advantage of a sale on their yarn swift as well as replacing my ball winder. This has made winding yarn incredibly easy, and much faster. Great!